Going His Own Way

DAVIE — Soon after running back Ricky Williams gets the ball, back can suddenly become front, front transforms to back and the Dolphins' blockers can get twisted around as much as the defense.

That dizziness, caused by Williams' tendency to reverse field, is why the Dolphins are working this week on blocking the backside of running plays.

The frontside is the direction the play is supposed to go, and the backside is the opposite way. However, Williams will go either way if he sees an opening.

"Ricky will go left on a frontside play, but then he will see that little crease on the back and then -- boom -- hit it," fullback Rob Konrad said.

When Williams did it a couple times Sunday against the Jets, wide receiver Derrius Thompson got spun around.

Thompson was shielding his man away from the play, as it's drawn up, when Williams made an abrupt move to his side of the field. Now Thompson was out of position, and his man slipped free to make the play.

"It is like I am doing my job, but then I am not," Thompson said. "There is a different way you have to do it with a guy like Ricky."

Different enough that Wannstedt said the team would modify the perimeter blocking of the wide receivers this week to account for Williams' instinctive ability to spot an opening on the backside and go for it.

Wannstedt said Williams could have had more than the 125 yards he rushed for against the Jets if the backside of a few plays were blocked differently.

"The receiver is inside blocking his guy, and the [defender] runs up the field and everybody, myself included, is screaming, `Why aren't we blocking those guys for Ricky?'" Wannstedt said. "The reality is the receiver was inside blocking him, and he had good position, [but] Ricky bounced it outside."

So every Dolphins blocker, no matter where he lines up and regardless of where the play is supposed to go, has to assume Williams could end up running to their side.

Most times, it doesn't matter if the backside gets blocked the way it's designed. Williams gets there so quickly that he often runs through before the backside defender can react or shake loose.

Other times, though, a free defender makes the play before Williams can get outside. Or the sudden change in flow on the play leads to a holding call against the Dolphins.

Thompson, who is new to the Dolphins, said he learned about Williams' tendencies during the Jets game.

"It is hard, because all my life, [I've been taught] basically backside you cut the guy off," Thompson said. "But you can't cut the backside off with Ricky because if you do, a [cornerback] will see it, and he will beat you to it.

"Basically every play you have to treat it like it is coming to your side. You have to stay head up on the guy and keep your leverage on him, because Ricky will use the whole field."

The key, players say, is to stay square on their blocks instead of shading to one side or the other of the defender. That way, no matter which side Williams runs, the blocker has a chance of staying in front of his man.

Normally, that is a disadvantage for the blocker because he can't turn the defender away from the direction of the play, but Konrad said that matters less with Williams.

"Ricky is fast enough and strong enough that even if he took it right by you and you are squaring up, he will run right through an arm tackle," Konrad said.

The technique has to be different, and so does the attitude of the blockers on the backside, left tackle Wade Smith said.

"You just have to be more aware and realize that your block actually is important on the play," Smith said. "A lot of times there might be a play where it is a toss to the right but he can still cut back, so your backside block is just as important as the point-of-attack block."

Konrad said Williams' backup, Travis Minor, has a different style. Minor likes space for a cutback but almost always hits the frontside of the play, so it generally can be blocked as designed, Konrad said.

Then there is former Dolphins running back Lamar Smith, who "always cut back," Konrad said, so he would position his block for Smith to go the opposite way.

Williams has no clear pattern, Konrad said.

"Ricky is a little different because he is such an instinctive runner and kind of hits it wherever," he said. "That is something I have kind of had to feel out the last year."

And if Williams cuts back when he doesn't expect it?

"There is not a whole lot you can do about it sometimes," Konrad said. "The good thing is [Williams] makes it work. He makes us look good."